Reader promotion: how can we help?

The School Library Service supports reading and encourages a love of books among all ages.

We offer a range of reader promotion experiences :

• Author events around the county
• 'In-school' book events
• Recommended reading lists to encourage reading for pleasure at all key stages
• Hampshire Book Award and Hampshire Illustrated Book Award
• Biennial Wessex Children's Book Festival
• Reduced rates for reader promotion magazine, TbK and to the DFC comic

National initiatives

We aim to inform our schools about national reading developments

• Reading Connects
• Summer Reading Challenge

Fiction Support Groups

Our Fiction support groups provide a regular forum for Foundation stage through to KS4. The SLS provides the latest titles for teachers and librarians to try back in their own schools and the lively group discussions help to keep participants up to date with what's new.

DereK Landy collects the 2008 Hampshire Book Award

On Wednesday 19th December, Derek Landy visited Winchester Guildhall to receive the Hampshire Book Award for 2008.  Derek won the award for his debut novel 'Skulduggery Pleasant'.  Year 8 children from secondary schools across the county chose the book from a shortlist of 6 titles and over 500 of the young judges were present at the Guildhall to see Derek receive his accolade.

Special offer on DFC comics

Reading doesn’t always have to be about books.  Comics are a great way to ‘hook’ reluctant readers, particularly boys into reading.  The new weekly comic produced by David Fickling is a quality publication with contributors such as Philip Pullman.  An annual subscription for schools (one comic per week) would normally cost £156.  As part of the National Year of Reading however, the SLS will subsidise this and offer interested schools an annual subscription of £100 for the first year, beginning in January 2009.  Samples of the comic are available from your ASL or check out the DFC website. Those wishing to take advantage of the special offer should contact Kathryn Tooley at SLS HQ before 12th December.

Book weeks in school

Planning an event

The SLS can help you plan book events in school, provide recommended author or storytelling lists and information on how to run book events. Extra books can be loaned or purchased to support book events by contacting your local Area Schools Librarian.
Information sheets are available for subscribing schools - please log in to download them

Book talks

As part of your book event or at any time of year SLS staff can visit your school to promote reading to pupils, staff and parents. This could be reading stories to infants, or introducing a range of titles to classes of pupils or parent groups. In most cases the resources used can be left in school to capitalise on any interest generated.

Book fairs

Several companies will provide you with books for a book fair during your school book week. Some of them will provide staff to sell the books for you, while others provide you with boxes of books to sell yourselves. Try:

• Wessex Book Supplies
• Scholastic Book Fairs

Book lists

The School Library Service creates book lists for both curriculum areas (to support subject conferences) and general reading promotion.  Many of these lists can also be used as purchasing tools to buy resources through SLS.

Great new books

• Recommended new titles for Early Years and KS1
• Recommended new titles for KS2
• Recommended new titles for KS3&4

Booklists for subscribers

Copies of booklists and order forms are available for download by subscribing schools. Please login
The booklists also appear in the 'Bookshelf' section of Petranet and, if you prefer, you can use your Hampshire schools login to order online.

Latest booklist include:

• Brilliant Beginnings and Excellent Endings  (Updated June 2008)
  The beginning of a book is absolutely crucial.  A slow start can spell disaster, especially when a reader has been less than enthusiastic in the first place.  Endings too are often used  to help decide whether to read the book or not. (KS2)

• Transition booklists (Summer 2008)
  In order to promote the importance of reading at crucial phases in a child's school lire, we have produced booklists of recommended titles for children about to start school in Year R, (Ready for School), children ready to move from Year 2 to Year 3 (Moving Up) and those about to start secondary school (Moving On).

• Classics for KS2 (Jan 08)
  A selection of classic stories that will be enjoyed by KS2 pupils.

• The magic of pattern (March 08)
  Picture books are a wonderful resource to enrich pupils’ imagination and thinking. This booklist has been put together to provide some amazing examples of contemporary illustrators working to produce publications that support bringing narrative alive.

• PSHE booklist (March 08)
  New titles, both fiction and non-fiction, to support PSHE in the primary school.

Shadowing the CILIP Kate Greenaway Award

Support Pack for schools

The Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded annually for distinguished illustration in a book for children.  Although the eventual winner is chosen by adults, children can take part through the CILIP Shadowing scheme designed to encourage pupils to engage with the judging process.

The shadowing scheme can be incorporated into the curriculum in a number of ways and meet several of the 12 strands included in the learning objectives from the Primary Framework.

We have designed a pack to help schools join in with the award and ensure that they take part fully in all the opportunities available.  It includes information on what benefits the award can have in school as well as some practical tips on how to run the scheme.  We do hope that you consider joining in this year especially as it is the National Year of Reading

The award is most suitable for KS2 children though able Year 2s may be considered

Subscribing schools can download a copy of the pack.

The official Greenaway website will give you more information on the award itself as well as providing a link to the official shadowing site which contains lots of useful help and advice.